Bachelor Nation was sad and shocked when The Bachelorette season 18 couple Michelle Young and Nayte Olukoya ended their engagement, and now Nayte is denying that he cheated on Michelle. Michelle, a 28-year-old elementary school teacher from Minnesota, and Nayte, a 27-year-old sales executive originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, fell in love on the show in 2021 after immediately connecting on the first night. Nayte was the first man to emerge from the limousines and also received Michelle's first impression rose and first kiss of the season.
Although Michelle and Nayte initially appeared to be very different, they realized that they had a lot in common and their connection continued to grow. Throughout the season, Nayte had some trouble expressing his feelings because he had never been in love before. Although some people, including the couple's family members, thought that Nayte displayed some red flags about being ready for an engagement, Michelle believed in Nayte. He proposed on the season finale, and Michelle said yes. However, after less than a year together, Michelle and Nayte have broken up.
In a series of slides on his Instagram story, Nayte addressed many things, including the cheating allegations. He said that "the picture that's getting painted of me is so far from the truth. I lead with positivity, so that is what I will continue doing. Whether y'all like it or not." He went on to say that he didn't cheat and that "not every breakup needs to have someone to blame." Nayte continued by saying, "Yes, many of you seem to paint me as a red flag [expletive] boy. Maybe it's the piercings and tattoos? Who knows. But I'm actually a decent guy, and I only want to continue getting better. As we should all want for ourselves." Nayte admitted that "the negativity and blatant hate has been hurtful during a difficult time." He said that he joined The Bachelorette with no expectations, but with an open mind and an open heart, and Michelle opened his heart a little more. Nayte shared that he truly believed that Michelle was his person.
Nayte went on to address his critics, admitting, "Sure, I guess I was inexperienced in love. Doesn't mean I'm a 'red flag.' Not sure what else to say to this." Nayte also shared that the plan for him to move to Minnesota changed when he and Michelle decided that they wanted to get to know each other "on a deeper level before taking the leap of living together. There's no rush in life. There's no rule book or timeline on how to go about your relationship. We believed that since the love was there, everything would fall into place naturally and in its own time, the way it's meant to be." Nayte admitted that "the pressures were insane" for the both of them. At the end of the post, Nayte declared, "My name is Babatunde Olufemi Robert Nathaneil Olukoya, and I will never live my life based on how others think I should live it. Period." He thanked "the kind people" who are showing him and Michelle respect, and ended the post with two peace sign emojis.
Although Bachelor Nation is looking for a definitive answer about why Michelle and Nayte broke up, Nayte's vehement denial of the cheating allegations seems sincere. It seems that the couple just grew apart as they got to know each other better outside of the show. Nayte and Michelle seemed to genuinely love each other and enjoy each other's company both on The Bachelorette and after. Hopefully, they will find the right people for them. In the meantime, Bachelor Nation should stop placing blame, and instead support Michelle and Nayte during this difficult time.
The Bachelorette season 19 premieres July 11 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.
Source: Nayte Olukoya/Instagram